Wednesday, 24 May 2017

The Lost Lake of Oregon, United States

The
Lost Lake is the source of a natural phenomenon that has Oregon
residents stumped. When winter arrives, adjacent streams drain into the
lake and cause it to fill with water. While this occurrence isn't out of
the ordinary, the lake does undergo a confusing transformation in the
spring. As winter comes, the lake drains like one ginormous bathtub; the
hole has always been there, the shallow lake surrounded by pine trees
that sits near a highway. As for its mysterious drainage, it's most
likely caused by the region's spongy volcanic landscape. This particular
Lost Lake is located within the Willamette National Forest just outside
the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, is one of the best known because it is
easily accessible. It lies adjacent to the heavily travelled Santiam
Pass Highway, Oregon Highway 20. The lake is fed by three unnamed
intermittent creeks from Lost Lake Butte, and Inlet Creek from Preachers
Peak.

It
is believe that Lost Lake's opening is a lava tube that acts as a large
drain. Unluckily, one precise question hasn't been answered. The local
peoples have been speculating about where the water goes after the lake
is fully drained but no one has a clue. It is believed, Lost Lake was
formed about 3,000 years ago when lava flowing from the Sand Mountain
Line of small volcanoes blocked a river channel to create a small basin
of water which now holds the lake. The lakebed begins to fill in the
late fall, when the amount of rain coming in starts exceeding the
ability of the lava tubes to drain off the water, and it continues to
fill all winter long in a series of rain or snowstorms. Therefore, when
the rainy season peters out, the 9-foot-deep lake loses its water
source, and water disappears down the lava tubes until it's gone. The
lake's watery boom-and-bust cycle repeats itself every year. The lake
contains brook trout, brown trout, kokanee salmon, rainbow trout,
crayfish, otter, and beaver. Throughout the area are blacktail deer,
squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, black bear, cougar, and bobcat. The
heavily forested area consists mostly of Douglas-fir and mountain
hemlock with some cedar and white pine alder and huckleberry underbrush
occurs in open areas.

However,
it is not sure, where the drained lake water goes, but researchers have
an idea. It likely falls down the lava tubes and seeps through layers
of cracked volcanic rock as groundwater. Perhaps it may be absorbed into
the porous terrain, though one thing's for sure: the hole shouldn't be
plugged. If anyone was ever successful at plugging it which we're not
sure they could do it would just result in the lake flooding, and the
road; it's an important part of how the road was designed. More than a
few small streams feed into the lake intermittently, but the lava tube
drain holes are the only known outlets. The Lost Lake's water seeps into
earth and refills the underground water supply that feeds springs in
other areas of the forest and even offers drinking water for the
community. Moreover, it is projected that the lake’s water take 7 to 10
years to filter down through all those cracks and pores before it end up
in someone glass. Though, not all people are respectful of the lava
tubes.

Lost
Lake is classified as mesotrophic, in contrast to the large number of
oligotrophic lakes in the High Cascades. The concentrations of major
ions, alkalinity, conductivity and pH are somewhat above average for
Cascade Lakes. The water is adequately transparent that the bottom is
visible everywhere, thus this combination of characteristics indicates
mesotrophic, but close to oligotrophy. The lake is also very popular to
Photographers, Anything from Landscape photography to Wedding
photography. It is the most photographed lake in all of Oregon, as with
some of the best views for Sunrises, Sunsets, And Astro photography. The
locals have been throwing trash garbage such as car parts, engines and
other debris in the hole, apparently for fun or just to see if they can
plug the hole. Throwing anything into the hole is strongly discouraged
by forest officials as it could flood the lake and the road.